The Next Step
by divcon
Summary: The conclusion of my little trilogy,'A Step Forward' & 'The First Date'. Once again, lots of conversation


The Next Step

"Finally." Jack sighed. Everything was done he was no longer the commander of the SGC. He had mixed feelings now that it was done. He felt sad to be leaving a big part of his life behind and ecstatic to be starting this part of his life with Sam. At the end of the day he would be able to take Sam in his arms and he wouldn't be breaking any of the Air Forces' regulations. He had lived and died by the same regulations for so long that the last two weeks of secret meetings with Sam were starting to wear on him.

Meanwhile, down in her lab Sam was going through similar feelings. I would be so strange for her not to see Jack around the SGC every day but she had the consolation of having Jack around all the time outside the SGC. Letting a smile play on her lips Sam remembered everything that had happened over the last two weeks. Long walks in the park near her house, day trips out to his cabin just to sit and talk on his dock at the lake pretending to enjoy fishing. And the nights. The nights were the best. Jack was the most attentive lover, taking her to places she had never been before then holding her through the night. She would miss him so much when he was in Washington but he'd be home every weekend that she wasn't off-world. How did she get so lucky to have a man give up something he loved dearly to just be with her? She would show him every day how much that meant to her, hopefully until they were both old and grey and sitting in their rocking chairs laughing at something their grandkids had just done. She would have to make sure that she came back to him after every off-world mission.

"O'Neill, may I come in?'

"Sure Teal'c, pull up a chair."

"To where would you like me to pull it?"

"Never mind." It was then that Jack saw Teal'c's face. "Oh you made another joke. Very good Teal'c, keep practicing."

"Indeed. O'Neill, I wish to say goodbye to you. It has been an honour to serve with you. You are a great warrior and a true friend, I shall miss you."

"Hey T, It's not like I won't be seeing you again. I'm only going to Washington, we'll still be able to get together and go fishing."

Teal'c raised that eyebrow of his and said nothing else. He took Jack's arm in a traditional Jaffa handshake and bowed his head then turned and walked away.

Jack was sitting at his desk packing away his personal items wondering when Daniel would come to see him. He didn't have long to wait, glancing up he saw Daniel crossing the briefing room headed straight for his office. Before Daniel even raised his hand to knock Jack was calling him into the office.

"Hey Jack."

"Yes Daniel?'

Daniel sunk down into one off the chairs in front of Jack's desk.

"I can't believe you finally did it. After all this time and everything you've seen, you can just walk away?"

"Daniel, I'm not walking away, just taking a sideward step. It's something I need to do."

Daniel just sat there and stared at him, not knowing how to voice the thoughts that were rolling around in his head. He was remembering the very first time he met Jack. He knew straight away that Jack had no time for him and that he was only on that mission to Abydos because he was the only one who could figure out the glyphs to get them home. He hoped that at the end of that mission they had helped each other. He knew that Jack had helped him and he was forever grateful for everything Jack had done for him over the last eight years. Just as he'd gathered he thoughts enough to voice them Jack spoke.

"I know Daniel, who'd thought all that time ago that we would actually like one another. I just have one request. Don't go off and get yourself killed again, you know I'm not a member of the Oma fan club and I want you around for a long time space monkey."

Daniel just smiled and nodded his head. That was Jack, quick with a joke to cover his true feelings. Daniel stood up, nodding his head and headed out of Jack's office. As he reached the door he heard Jack say.

"See you on Sunday and don't be late."

Daniel turned and looked at Jack, "I won't be late. I'm bringing Cassie and she'll skin me alive if I'm even a minute late. Please tell me you're not cooking."

"No Daniel I'm not cooking, you are."

"No seriously, who's cooking?"

"Gen. Hammond is cooking Daniel so you can rest easy. You will have edible food to eat.

Daniel was sure he could hear Jack laughing all the way down to the gate room. He really had a twisted sense of humour.

The day had been perfect. As he sat there and watched his friends, and they were his friends, sitting and talking to each other Jack realized how fortunate he was. He looked for Sam and smiled when he caught sight of her. She and Cassie were laughing over something funny that he was sure only a woman would understand. Just then Sam looked up and smiled. God he loved that smile. When she raised her eyebrows Jack nodded his head. She excused herself and made her way over to him.

Jack stood and sent to meet her halfway. When they reached each other Jack cleared his throat.

"Can I have everyone's attention? I brought you all here today so I, I mean we, could make an announcement. Now that I am no longer her CO, Sam and I have decided to finally make a commitment to each other. We've waited for eight years for our time to come and now that it's here we wanted to share it with our friends."

Cassie squealed and leapt to her feet. Just as she was about to race over and hug Sam when Jack raised his hand and said

"Wait a minute Cassie, there's more."

At this Sam looked at Jack with confusion. Jack slowly turned to Sam and with one hand holding hers and the other in his pocket Jack kneeled before her.

"Sam, in front of our friends, I want to ask you 'Will you marry me Samantha Carter?'"

With that, Jack presented Sam with a beautiful 1 carat square cut diamond solitaire ring. Sam stared at Jack and then the ring dumbfounded. She was speechless.

"Say yes Sam." screamed Cassie.

"Put the man out of his misery Sam." whispered Daniel.

"Indeed Colonel Carter, what is to be your answer." inquired Teal'c.

"Sam, don't leave Jack down on one knee for much longer or he won't be able to get back up." chuckled George.

Looking around at her friends with tears in her eyes and love and laughter in her heart she turned back to look at Jack.

"Of course I'll marry you. You are the man of my dreams, the love of my life. The one person who makes my life complete."

With tears in his eyes this time, Jack placed the ring on her finger and kissed her to the sounds of their friends clapping and cheering.

2 YEARS LATER

Jack silently walked into the darkened hospital room. He smiled in wonder at the woman who lay on the bed sound asleep. She deserved it. Next to the bed were two of those hospital baby cribs, Jack looked at his new son and daughter with awe. Sam had given him the chance to be a father again. The next generation of the O'Neill's had arrived.

THE END.


End file.
